Role of sedation and analgesia in ICU

Abstract

 Alleviation of pain is a basic human right. And patients who experience the greatest pain and suffering are the ones in the intensive care unit (ICU). Sedation allows to prevent the patients’ awareness and reduction of their response to various external stimuli. However, sedation is like a double-edged sword for ICU patients. Over-sedation can cause long-term ventilatory support and increase duration of ICU stay, whereas under-sedation can cause hyper-catabolism, immunosuppression, hypercoagulability and increased sympathetic activity. Pain is widely regarded as the fifth vital sign, and it induces a myriad of deleterious physiological changes in most organ systems. Pain can cause agitation, delirium, and inadequate pain management can have psychological sequelae like post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety or it can progress to chronic pain. In this review, we will focus on the role of sedation & analgesia in ICU, current practice trends and a holistic approach for better patient care.
Citation: Wani MD, Dey C, Mistry T. Role of sedation and analgesia in ICU. Anaesth Pain & Intensive Care 2018;22 Suppl 1:S88-S98